A Hounslow landlord has been hit with a bill for nearly £1,000 following complaints about mould, rats and rubbish at a house in Wellington Road South.

Satvir Judge, of Shaftesbury Avenue, Southall, was fined £500 at Brentford Magistrates's Court on February 27 after being found guilty of failing to respond to enquiries from Hounslow Council.

He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £480 and a victim surcharge of £15.

Housing officers tried to contact Judge after receiving complaints about the state of the house in Wellington Road South, Hounslow.

He was asked on numerous occasions to prove his responsibility for the property, but several requests and legal notices demanding information went unanswered.

Cllr Phil Andrews, lead member for housing at the council, said: "The council works very hard to make landlords aware of their responsibilities to their tenants by sending out information and holding events.

"We want to have a good relationship with landlords in Hounslow, and with the majority this is true.

"But where there is a blanket refusal to cooperate with a simple request that relates to tenants' health and safety, we will use every means possible, including legal measures, to achieve that.

"This prosecution will send out a clear message: work with us, or face the consequences."